Passwords can be inconvenient and forgettable, but they’re important if you want to keep your information safe. Protecting your personal information starts with taking security precautions, thinking about the consequences of your actions online and enjoying the Internet with peace of mind.

As a National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM) Champion, Stinnett and our friends at Stay Safe Online have a few simple ways to secure your accounts through better password practices.

MAKE YOUR PASSWORD A SENTENCE
A strong password is a sentence that is at least 12 characters long. Focus on positive sentences or phrases that you like to think about and are easy to remember. On many sites, you can even use spaces.

UNIQUE ACCOUNT, UNIQUE PASSWORD
Having separate passwords for every account helps deter cybercriminals. At a minimum, separate your work and personal accounts, and make sure that your critical accounts have the strongest passwords.

WRITE IT DOWN AND KEEP IT SAFE
Everyone can forget a password. Keep a list that’s stored in a safe, secure place away from your computer. You can alternatively use a service like a password manager to keep track of your passwords.

LOCK DOWN YOUR LOGIN
Fortify your online accounts by enabling the strongest authentication tools available, such as biometrics, security keys or a unique one-time code through an app on your mobile device. Your usernames and passwords are not enough to protect key accounts like email, banking and social media.